[ may i log: the good fight ]

[barrayarmods]

Who: Everyone
What: The culmination of months of planning and suffering finally comes to bear as the Barrayarans launch their debilitating attack on the Cetagandan base. Politics, as always, go sight unseen but felt everywhere.
When: May 1st - 18th
Where: the Barrayaran camp, the Cetagandan base, Riverfall Village
Warnings: TBD

Quick links:
Riverfall
Barrayar: Camp / Missions
Cetaganda: Base / Missions

TIMELINE
5/5 Eavesdropping
5/7 Hacking
5/11 Mystery Plot
5/15 Attack on the Cetagandan base

riverfall
The village is finally starting to get back on its feet after a few blessedly uneventful weeks. Other than the routine Cetagandan patrols, there hasn't been much activity in the village, and no new strife. The villagers merely continue their rebuilding efforts and tend to their fields, and they'll still gladly accept any help offered by outsiders.

With the village down nearly half its population, there's room to grow, even after last month's fight destroyed some of the homes, so Speaker Gura has been taking in refugees from other nearby hill villages – about ten refugees have moved to settle anew in Riverfall in the last few weeks.

barrayar
The time to strike is now.

All three camps are preoccupied with preparations for the attack on the 15th: as far as Barrayaran intelligence knows, no reinforcements are on their way to the Cetagandan base, and the guerrillas need to strike while the Cetagandans are still down nearly half their forces. It's the only shot they have at forcing the occupying troops to leave Vorkosigan Vashnoi and give them a chance at retaking the city – and they're not throwing away this shot, because they might not get another one.

The political unease surrounding Dorca and Yuri is a quieter tension, plaguing only those politically savvy (or well-positioned) enough to understand the situation, but if you're paying close enough attention to the moody Crown Prince, you'll note that Yuri's primary concern isn't the outsiders, but something much closer to home. He's never been a particularly warm man by anyone's account, but lately he's especially given to foul moods, and only part of it is grief for his most recently deceased son.

All further attempts at hostage negotiation from Zahal have been as curtly denied as the first, and just about as politely. Incorporating a rescue plan into their attack strategy wasn't exactly easy, but they won't get another shot than this at rescuing Princess Sonia – or Byerly, whose cover as a spy was recently blown during a failed attempt at smuggling Sonia out of the base. On the 15th, the Barrayarans prepare for war, some donning Cetagandan uniforms and face paint, others swiping mud over their faces to better camouflage themselves in the dark.

And the attack is a success. There's no real such thing as acceptable loss, but the top brass consider the 70 lives spent on the attack a fair cost for what they got: almost destroying the immediate Cetagandan power supply and the return of their Princess. Plus Byerly. The mood lightens considerably, but there is no rest in war, and just as soon as they take their next victory, Piotr, Dorca and Yuri are already planning the next move: finally retaking Vorkosigan Vashnoi.

camp
All three camps are heavily preparing, officers running drills nearly around the clock, quartermasters taking inventory and making sure every piece of equipment is clean and in working order, medical officers and techs preparing the sickbay tent as best they can for the inevitable injured who will return.

But despite the impending mission, tensions are still rising within the army – while top brass is vocally discouraging the fights that have broken out, it hasn't put a complete stop to them, and no one has openly endorsed the outsiders except for Piotr Vorkosigan. Vorvolk and Yuri are both still staunchly in the skeptic camp at best, but Dorca does not seem to have passed a final judgment on the outsiders before the attack. Perhaps he's merely biding his time, because for all the dissent about the outsiders, the Emperor hasn't barred Piotr from letting them participate in critical missions.

The soldiers make enough noise about it on their own. They're especially tetchy about the outsiders who crossed over from the Cetagandan side – they're as good as spies, as far as some of the soldiers are concerned. But even worse is letting Duv Galeni, a Komarran, not only remain in camp and feed on their resources, but actively participate in missions. For the most part, the soldiers in camp who have known the outsiders from the start and have befriended them are sticking with them, but the half of Piotr's army that was with Vorvolk after the split when the location of their last camp was discovered by the Cetagandans are nearly as suspicious as the Vorbarra battalion. Hostility towards Duv and those who escaped from the Cetagandan camp is especially severe, and it's no secret that some of them would prefer the outsiders dead rather than taking up space and resources in their army, though no one has been so bold as to actually make any attempts. Falco Vorkalloner, one of the Rangers who had been in Vorvolk's half of the army, hasn't been afraid to make his voice heard, though. He's even been heard saying that he thinks someone ought to make an example out of the Komarran and demonstrate just what they think of those who would side with the Cetagandans.

After the attack, the atmosphere of the camp is noticeably changed – the return of the Princess as well as what can only be considered a resounding victory for the Barrayarans has led to a jubilant and triumphant environment. And with Barrayarans, all celebration comes with a whole lot of drinking. Wine, vodka and maple mead are passed around aplenty in the nights and days following the attack, as soldiers burn offerings for their dead comrades and trade stories of action.

The tension with the outsiders begins to lessen after this victory, too. The fact that two outsiders, Wash and Lucy, are responsible for the Princess's rescue goes a long way toward relations between the outsiders and the rest of the army, and after the attack, Dorca gives the outsiders his endorsement as comrades to be trusted and honorary warriors fighting alongside them. Of course, this doesn't mean all hostility and tension merely dissipates – there are still plenty of soldiers like the now-deceased Falco who still think the outsiders are a threat and a parasitic presence. But things do start to lighten up a little after this victory...finally.

missions
General Piotr Vorkosigan himself leads the attack on the Cetagandan base, and Yuri leads his own contingent. Although there are some hitches getting in undetected, their plans to disable base security are overall successful, as is their sabotage of the power supply generators and Sonia and Byerly's rescue.

Meanwhile, Lakshmi and Sisko have found Falco Vorkalloner's dead body, and while it looks like an accident, it also looks like someone might have taken care to make sure it looked like one.

The unabridged mission results can be found here.

cetaganda
The social relief brought by the flower-viewing party quickly fades, and tension settles back over the Cetagandan base, underlined by Zahal's frustration with Piotr's flat-out refusal to meet his demands, or even so much as discuss them. He's sent more than one political ransom demand since Dorca's arrival, too, but to no effect. Given the recent guerrilla activity in Vorkosigan Vashnoi, he knows Piotr must be planning something, but with no informants left in the Barrayaran army, his intelligence is dry, and the investigations into weapons smuggling were ultimately fruitless. All known civilian resistance cells seem to have scattered and disappeared, their bases of operation boarded up or burned down. All he can do is concentrate as many troops as he can afford on the city's occupation, though he doesn't leave the base totally unmanned. But he does add another thousand troops to the occupying force in Vorkosigan Vashnoi in the week before the attack on the base.

Not everyone is being sent over, though, and the transfer doesn't make for as smooth a cover as one might hope. Gail is caught on an unauthorized trip to the city while off duty, and you might hear -- or overhear -- the dressing-down he gets from his commanding officer for it. He doesn't appear to have a ready excuse for it -- at least, not one that doesn't sound flimsy as hell.

Military matters affect those of the Star Crèche, however, and Zahal's frustration does not touch that sphere. Not that it isn't without its own tensions -- anyone who spends enough time with Diya and Sei (and Ba Talim, for that matter) will feel the rising tensions between them, though their origins are as obscure as the haut always are. The Star Gate Project, now officially under the jurisdiction of the Star Crèche, continues on with Micah at the lead, although they haven't for a moment forgotten that they are a prisoner here, or where their true loyalties lie.

After the attack, Zahal's fury reaches a boiling point, and since the Barrayarans did so much infrastructural damage, the consequences of military matters finally reach Diya and Sei, rankling them, too. The power shortage and damage to the science/medical complex has put a serious damper on Star Gate research, although as far as anyone is aware, the gene therapy trials and other related Star Crèche research goes on unimpeded, thanks to the successful protection of the secondary backup generator, which seems to exist only to power the medbay and gene labs. But since power is a hot commodity right now, Zahal is going to start pushing to reroute some of that power to what the haut would probably deem as lower priority needs.

base
The mood around the base is restless, Zahal's frustration trickling down into tensions among his officers and seeping into the very atmosphere. They're hardly prepared for the attack that comes because they don't even know what to expect. The soldiers all seem on edge, nervous, a little tetchy, particularly after Tarn's altercation with Diya and Natasha, and then the failed attempt to smuggle out the Princess -- but that did, at least, lead to the outing of Byerly Vorrutyer as a spy among the Cetagandans, confirming some suspicions held by the higher brass in Cetagandan intelligence. About the only comfort, if one can call it that, in all this tension is Byerly's summary fast-penta interrogation.

The gene therapy trials, despite some...trials, continue, and with much greater success than last month. Sei and Diya are as impassive as ever, but even so, there's a tangible undercurrent of mixed relief and triumph. Micahworks as feverishly as ever on the Star Gate Project with the aid and oversight of the military's scientific division and the exotics working as lab assistants. The satellite launch has proven to be a highly productive venture -- it's yielding data they couldn't have gathered otherwise, which is proving to be critical, and Micah spends time having Kaidan, Symmetra and Pearl put through another series of brain scans and consulting the neurology team as they study the results.

Although Sei is never seen outside of her force bubble, and doesn't actually travel around the base all that much, her presence seems to dominate the more civilian areas of the base, overshadowing even Diya -- although Diya is considerably less visible around the base after her altercation with Tarn. Amai is, of course, somehow seen just about everywhere, a constant social and professional presence that refuses to let anyone forget she's there. But after the 5th, she seems to be troubled -- she's far less impassive than the haut, and her anxiety and discomfort are much easier to see.

After the attack, Diya seems somewhat shaken -- it's almost impossible to tell how Sei is affected, but with facilities down, audits are being done on all existing projects to determine what's important enough to remain active while they have limited power. The base isn't quite in a shambles, but there's a lot of damage -- while the Barrayarans personally only carry swords and bows, they clearly have no issue with taking the Cetagandans' plasma arcs to wreak havoc at home -- and the atmosphere is overall demoralized. Sending more troops to Vorkosigan Vashnoi was clearly the wrong move, and it's a bitter pill to swallow, but Zahal begins to recall troops from the city in small waves to help better man the base, knowing full well that this must have been what Piotr intended.

missions
A few interesting tidbits are overheard in the dark of night, and Amai finds herself in the uniquely uncomfortable position of holding Diya's dark secret in one hand, and Sei's in the other -- and Ba Talim seems to know something, though it isn't clear what. And some creative hacking turns up some unexpected dirt on Sei that makes Diya's illicit ba experiments look like mere misdemeanors.

Despite the best efforts of the soldiers and the exotics and the fact that, even undermanned, they still outnumber the guerrillas by a landslide, the base is still overrun by Barrayarans and their attack is successful. The main and backup power generators are totally disabled for the time being, and it's unclear how long it will be before full power is restored to the base.

The unabridged mission results can be found here.

Note: Gavalas, Olivia, Zahal, Diya, and Sei & Ba Talim are available for threads on request. Hit up Madi (Gavalas, Diya, Sei & Ba Talim) or Ammay (Olivia & Zahal) if you'd like threads with these characters!

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MISSIONS: BARRAYAR

[barrayarmods]

ATTACK: INFILTRATION

[barrayarmods]

You have two objectives: pose as Cetagandan soldiers and break inside, and disable the force screens and stunner net over the top perimeter.

ATTACK: SABOTAGE

[barrayarmods]

You have two objectives: disable the backup protocol to keep the backup generator from kicking online, and sabotage as much as you can of the Cetagandans' power supply.

[dendarii]

Infiltrate as a Cetagandan? Laughable. Rescue Sonia and Byerly? Something Miles desperately wants to do, but he's a big (ha) enough man to admit that he's not actually the best person for the job. Better to send someone strong, like Wash, to safeguard the lives of two of the people he values most here. Better to have Miles here, doing something he can actually contribute his best efforts. He's already seen the generator, after all, and he's actually familiar with the tech. This is the best use of his talents that doesn't require him to stay behind and hate his life.

Still, it's hard not to think about Byerly and Sonia trapped somewhere in here as he pads his way through the corridors. Carefully checking corridors as he goes, maneuvering back to where he remembers the generators from last time ... He has to be close right?

When he's with Carolina, he sticks close to her for safety's sake. But at some point, he gets separated from her, presumably to go take down another part of their objective. It's then that he stumbles upon someone else.

[sparkwhisperer]

The attack has aided in distracting Tarn from his spiral into oppressive melancholy. His complete annihilation by Natatsha's hand has left him bruised both in body and ego. He has been utterly humiliated and the subsequent self doubt and depreciation was not easily quieted.

But today, for the first time since the incident, Tarn has begun to brighten from the subdued shadow that he's found himself inhabiting. The Barrayaran soldiers flooding the base act as a way to vent his frustrations. Armed with only a stunner, Tarn has found creative ways to kill his victims. Sometimes he stuns them before simply breaking their neck. Others are less fortunate. Most recently, Tarn has found himself taking his insecurities out on a hapless solider, beating his face in with the stunner until it's an unrecognizable bloody smear.

His blood lust slowly begins healing his pride. Each kill has Tarn feeling more himself. He's walking away from the particularly brutalized corpse when a familiar face rounds the corner.

"Ah, we meet again. You have rather poor luck, Miles." Tarn flicks blood from his hand causually, staring down at him. He won't kill Miles-- the consequences most certainly would not be worth the brief satisfaction that he would feel-- but that doesn't mean that he can't have a bit of fun.

[dendarii]

Hell. This is very nearly the last person Miles wants to see right now, made worse by the blood dripping from his hand and the obviously mangled corpse behind him. (He'd known that soldier - a decent guy, had once gone on a guard route with Miles - dammit, no time to get distracted.)

"You really don't know how that works, do you," he drawls, hiding his horror with a sarcastic drawl. "Given how many people you hit with it." His own hit has mostly healed, save a slight scar over his brow. But for all his forced nonchalance, his eyes dart back and forth as he frantically tries to piece together a plan. There's a hallway behind him: good. No comms this close to the generator: bad. If he turned tail and ran, he might make it ... Or Tarn might just down him with the stunner, and then he is at the mercy of whatever the man decides to do with him. The thought of being turned over to the Cetagandans is not a happy one.

So, stall for a moment. Give himself time to think. Maybe talk his way out of it.

[sparkwhisperer]

Tarn lifts the stunner, cocking his head as he stares down at it.

"No, I understand perfectly. It's just so dull that one becomes creative in finding ways to add a bit of interest to it. Besides, its not exactly lethal, how else am I to nullify a threat if i'm only given something simple. Honestly, if they were smart they would arm me with a nerve disruptor."

ATTACK: RESCUE

[barrayarmods]

You have just one objective: get Princess Sonia (and Byerly) free and safely out of the base before the fighting's all done.

lucy & wash pre-mission!

[protocol]

[ Wash is happy to work with Lucy again, though it instinctively makes him nervous -- he's still not used to working with someone who's more of a civilian, and he's already failed to protect her once. She's a smart one, though, and willing enough to listen. This time they'll have backup getting in and out, at least, and there should be enough of a distraction. He lived in the base for more than enough time for his mind to commit most of the layout to memory, and a day or two before the attack he'd made sure to find some time to sit with Lucy and talk for a while, draw it out in the dirt, showing her a very, very precise route that Wash knows would take them straight to where they'd be keeping the prisoners. Finding Sonia specifically would be a case of hoping either Byerly's intel still is accurate, or well, identifying the most guarded cell. And Wash will take care of that, when they get there.

The two of them are in their own little team, entirely focused on their one objective. Smaller team the better, easier to slip through in the chaos everyone else would hopefully be causing. There's a quiet, nervous energy in the air, everyone's waiting for a signal, a time to move. Wash nudges Lucy beside him lightly with his elbow. ]

Nervous? [ A little lightly, despite the situation. He won't get too bossy until they're actually in there -- a concession that he's making for her, since she's non-military. ] Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.

[timetrek]

[ Lucy isn't sure why she keeps throwing herself into these missions. Maybe it's just to feel like she has some kind of purpose, even if she often finds herself wondering if she's doing the right thing. She's taking part in a war effort she barely understands, who's to say if she's even fighting on the right side?

Maybe there isn't really a right side.

This time, for once, it all feels perfectly straightforward. She hasn't known Sonia for long, but she was kind. Lucy likes her. Rescuing her feels, unquestionably, like the right thing to do.

She likes that she's working with Wash again. He reminds her a lot of Wyatt, which hurts but it also makes her feel safe. It makes it easier to put her life in his hands, which she must do because this is so much more his domain than it is hers.

She smiles a little at him, grateful for the distraction he offers. ]

Maybe.

[ Of course she's nervous. She knows that he is well aware of it. ]

What about you?

[protocol]

[ Maybe, huh. An amused sound, but a nod. ]

Sure I'm nervous. Would be stupid not to be. [ Tipping his head slightly in the direction of the base. ] There's a lot riding on all of this.

But we've just got one thing to focus on, right? Easy. Get in, rescue the princess, get out.

[ The princess and the spy. Still, ideally he'd rather Lucy only have to worry about the princess part. ]

[timetrek]

What if our princess is in another castle?

[ He probably won't get the reference, but she couldn't resist. ]

Sonia's rescue

[vorbratta]

There are two guards posted at Sonia's cell, and they're under strict orders – strict enough, indeed, that neither leaves their post even as they receive frantic reports via wristcom, even as the lights flicker on and off before going dark completely. Sonia hears the quiet buzz and hiss off the force screen behind her cell door dissipating, and her heart leaps.

But there's still the door, of course, sealed with a palm lock, and the guards, though clearly perturbed don't leave their post. They each take out a cold light and snap it on, illuminating the area around Sonia's cell, and keep their free hands on their sidearm holsters. Everything is quickly going to hell outside.

[timetrek]

Wash instructed her to distract the guards so that he could get a drop on them, but he wasn't actually too clear on what exactly she was supposed to do to get their attention. It would seem that they were pretty damn determined to stay exactly where they were, but Wash had ghosted off already and so she was pretty much left to her own devices.

Knowing full well that he was not going to approve, she stepped out into the line of sight of the guards, and kind of gave them an awkward wave.

"Uh. Hi guys."

[protocol]

Well, okay. Not exactly what he's expecting, but you know what, it'll do. Wash doesn't exactly approve, no, instinctively on edge, but the guards are suitably distracted, turning her way in confusion, moving forward. Away from the cell, which is perfect, and one of them's even jumpy enough to unholster his stunner. Even better.

The guards glance at each other, uneasy, as if trying to figure out what to do, but Wash is already using the opportunity and especially in the dark it's easy enough for him to get behind them with Lucy's distraction. He slips behind one guard and pulls him into a headlock, arm locked tightly enough his throat to choke him out, and before his friend gets the chance to even really react to the bustle of sound and the cold light going haywire Wash's already made use of the first guard's stunner. It's messier than Wash would like, but the end result is still both guards out on the floor, and Wash glances back to Lucy, gesturing her over.

"Hi guys? Really?" There's amusement in his voice, though, not a reprimand, and he's already hauling one guard the short distance over to the door to activate the palm lock. Immediately moving inside, a knot in his chest easing when he sees her, even in the dark. God.

"Hey -- come on. We've got you. You're not hurt, are you?" There's a smile, there, but. "No time for reunions. You're sticking with Lucy, and I need you to tell me if you know where Byerly's being held."

[vorbratta]

"Lucy! Wash!"

Sonia's breathless voice is just as much excited as it is shocked. She's been tense and poised to move since the lights went out, painfully aware of how empty her hands are and how little protection her fatigues offer, and she feels like her heart might actually burst out of her chest when she hears their voices. She wants instinctively to throw her arms around both of them in turn, but -- no reunions, right. Just like last time. There's a prickling along the back of her neck, a whispering her mind that reminds her of the last escape attempt a few scant weeks ago, how badly that had gone even despite their swift movement -- but she pushes it back, swallowing around a dry tongue. This is different. This will be different.

"I'm alright," she says, voice hushed, but she gives both of them the sunniest, most Sonia smile she can manage under the circumstances. There's only a slight moment of hesitation as she remembers the camera, wonders if she should take it with her -- she wants to, but no. Too risky, even with just a little device like that. She half-trips over one of the guards as she practically leaps out of her cell, then ducks and gropes for the other stunner, a triumphant little ha when she closes her hands around the grip.

"I do know how to use one of these," she says, waving the stunner at them briefly, and gives a quick nod, pushing her hair from her face. "And I know where Byerly is. Same building, different block -- I've been there. I can take you there."

Byerly's rescue!

[vorrutyer]

[ Byerly doesn't bother with pretending now, in this moment of crisis. Even in his cell, up to this point, he'd kept up the illusion of silliness and incompetence - but now, with an attack or with something clearly underway, he's preparing himself. With teeth and hands, he's ripped his bedsheet into long strips and knotted the strips into rudimentary weapons - one a weighted sort of flail, good for smacking stunners from hands from a distance, the other a garrotte. Fatal enough with a proper application. He's working now to kick the faucet off the sink - a difficult and laborious process, at an awkward angle, but a piece of jagged metal would be to his advantage right now. He is, in short, doing what any good ImpSec agent would do when the guards are gone but the door's still locked: cultivating resources. ]

[protocol]

[ Sonia had been insistent, but even before that Wash had been set on rescuing Byerly as well. The initial plan had been to secure Sonia first, but she's stubborn on coming along, and there really is no time to argue. As long as she and Lucy stay close, Wash would be able to watch them, at least -- not to mention he's already instructed Lucy on what to do if things go wrong. He's harsh with the instructions and orders he gives, with very little room for argument in his voice, stay here, don't move until I tell you to, just all too aware he's responsible for them here, knowing how much is at stake.

When it comes to rescuing Byerly, at least, where Sonia's two guards had been under strict orders, there's only one guard left in the immediate area and he's looking nervous, uncertain, like he isn't sure if he should be leaving to help with whatever might be going on. Easy enough for Wash to come up behind him and knock him out cleanly, without even needing to waste anything from the stunner he'd lifted off Sonia's guards. He takes the time to check the area a little more thoroughly before he gestures Sonia and Lucy forward, only barely glancing at Byerly in his cell just to confirm he's there before he's hauling the guard over for the palm lock.

No time to waste. He drops the guard once the lock's down, takes the stunner off of him, handing it over to Byerly. He knows you know how to use this, and hopefully this time you'll keep it pointed another way. ]

Sonia's with me. [ By way of confirmation, even if by now Lucy and Sonia both are probably coming up behind him. ] Is she safe?

[ He isn't asking about Sonia, of course. Natasha. He wants to know if he should be getting Natasha out of here, too. ]

[vorbratta]

[ as if on cue, sonia pops up right behind wash, shouldering to the doorway to see him. it's dark, but there's a light sheen of sweat on her face -- all that adrenaline has her running high right now, but she's so relieved to see him, to see that he's alright, and giddy to spring him out of here. like hell they were going to leave him behind. ]

Byerly! [ she's holding a stunner too, taken off of one of the guards at her own cell. it's been a while, but she's at least fired one before. ] Oh, thank God. Our soldiers are storming the base -- a better cover for an escape than the party, I think.

[vorrutyer]

Why -

[ His eyes go a little wide; he looks between Wash and Sonia in horror. Why, why, why the hell is Sonia here? Why isn't she being hustled off-base right here and now? Why are they wasting their limited time coming after him? He's damned low on the priority list, but here she is...

Shit. Well. It's done. The only thing that an argument could get him now would be more wasted time. He just runs his hand over his face briefly, lets out a shaky breath, and then nods to Wash. ]

Safe. Cover intact.

[ Then he nods to Sonia. No time for smiles or celebration now; he's hyperfocused, intensely serious, tucking his makeshift weapons into his pocket and hefting his real one instead. ]

How long do we have?

MYSTERY PLOT

[barrayarmods]

You find a body and some suspicious details...what you do now is up to you.

CSI BARRAYAR: OUTSIDERS UNIT

[shri]

She's just on her runs, moving between guard shifts, her place with Olivia, and taking up courier duties. Almost constantly moving in one form or another, that it's easy to find herself near people she doesn't quite normally speak with - just the same to how she finds herself near a new Outsider, hasn't spoken to him yet, but he kept quiet to himself, which was probably well enough give their treatment the last month, and she was - most definitely trouble overall.

But now that she is, somewhat near him, introductions might as well happen, and she opens her mouth to give them. Half way through giving him a greeting, when she stops, pauses, frowning and she gently lifts a hand up, first to put her finger to her lips in what she hopes is somewhat universal for hush as she steps past him to what she's spotted behind him, curls her fingers for him to follow her.

The body of the soldier laying on the ground. Breathes out slow and - "Did you leave that here, by any chance?" Which is - dry as it can be, but so often she is.

[thesisko]

Of course he's seen her with the way he's been watching the camp, trying to learn as much as possible without becoming too involved himself. He missed the fight, at least, which was either fortunate or unfortunate, depending on your perspective - surely, he would have wound up significantly more involved.

He's about to greet her as well, when she makes the sign - if it's not entirely universal, it at least is among several humanoid species - and arches a curious bow. As she passes, he turns and then does follow, his expression darkening as he sees what she's spotted. He stops alongside her, the set of his jaw tightening as he takes a sharp breath.

"I did not," His tone isn't particularly abrasive, not having taken the comment too harshly, but there is a gravelly sternness to it as his gaze moves over the soldier, taking in what he can.

"Do you know who he is?"

[shri]

That she can't tell from here, as she moves closer - to the dead man. Kneeling beside him as she rolls him flat onto his back, baring his face.

"I do." Her look is distasteful for that. "He's Vorkallener. We both worked Guard duty. He is one of Vorvolk's men." She leans over him digging around at the uniform that was closed as his throat, to put fingers to the pulse there - just to make sure. Holding certain just to make sure, even though the cold pallor that she could feel "He's dead. Been so for some hour though I could not tell how long exactly."

Sighs, irritable. "He was certainly no friend of mine, but he served just the same. Though that is just about all I could for the man." He made his opinions loudly known, about Duv in particular.

[thesisko]

He steps closer as well, not kneeling just yet, though he watches her movements with interest, frown deepening a bit as his brow furrows.

"Whatever could be said for him, I hardly think anyone should have to be found this way..."

His gaze lands on the bottle, broken by the man's side, the way he's positioned, and then glances upward, starting to try to piece it back together...

"Though I do take it that he wasn't universally beloved." His tone stays away from being judgmental - it's not as if he hasn't seen the way that some of the soldiers regard them, even in as short a time as he's been here, and he wouldn't begrudge anyone their feelings on the matter, but this is a dead man lying before them, and that's certainly a relevant bit of information.